Hello JTL Friends and Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce a call for papers for a special issue of the Journal of Teaching and Learning focusing on AI and machine learning and how it is intensifying the digital transformation of higher education. More information can be found on the Journal website at https://jtl.uwindsor.ca/index.php/jtl/about/submissions
A Call for Papers for Special Issue
The JTL is an international, peer-reviewed journal. The journal seeks manuscripts that critically examine teaching and learning, and publishes original research that contributes to questions in teaching, learning, and teaching and learning. These may include issues related to Indigenous education, gender, class, race, ability, ethnicity and diversity, educational policy, teacher education, educational leadership, and theories of teaching and learning. The journal also welcomes novel qualitative, arts-based, non-traditional methodologies.
The Education Association of South Africa (EASA) https://www.easa.ac.za/ promote academic debates and diminishes scholarly work. The Special Interest Group on Open Distance and e-Learning, is guest edited a special issue of the Journal of Teaching and Learning on:
AI and Machine Learning Intensifies Digital Transformation of Higher Education: Opportunities, Possibilities and Challenges.
Guest Editors: Prof Micheal van Wyk (University of South Africa) and Prof Benedictus Plaatjies (University of South Africa).
The new renaissance of AI has stimulated discussions on how advances in AI impact the educational sector and future educational policies. As such, this special issue recognizes the need for research to inform pedagogical practices and policies to ensure AI's ethical and responsible application in education; hence, developing a more profound and nuanced understanding of its multi-faceted benefits in the education sector is essential. There is limited understanding of the pedagogical aspects of AI, yet the teaching profession must adapt. Initial Teacher Education programs must prepare student teachers for the potential changes AI brings to the education sector. The discourse on the effects of Artificial Intelligence on Learning, Teaching, and Education is underdeveloped in South Africa and Africa at large, which tends to cause moral panic about the role of AI in the education sector.
Given the above, this special issue builds on the topics raised and discussed under the conference subtheme, Technology in education:
- a. Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications
- b. Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)
- c. Online, Hybrid and Blended learning
- d. Digitalisation
- e. Ai literacy and proficiency
- f. AI and Machine Learning
The above topics and below questions create opportunities to be considered, but not limited to:
- How can AI and Machine Learning be leveraged to enhance the digitalisation of higher education?
- What do teaching and learning look like in environments where AI and Machine Learning applications for student support, assessment, and quality assurance are widely used to digitalise HE?
- To what extent are AI and Machine Learning contributing to educational equity and access to learning opportunities for all?
- What are the pedagogical affordances of AI and Machine Learning and their implications on digitalised teaching learning and research?
- What AI and Machine Learning competencies are needed for professional education practice?
- How can AI and Machine Learning support diverse learners and lecturers in varied contexts?
- How and in what capacity can generative AI tools be leveraged to assist in developing students’ academic writing skills?
- What are the challenges related to the ethical use of AI and Machine Learning in teaching and learning and academic research?
Submission Process
Full papers (6000-8000 words, including titles, headings, references, and tables). All articles undergo a double-blind peer review process. Articles may be theoretical or research-based, but they usually seek to advance, question or add to the knowledge on a given subject.)—Author-submission guidelines are on the website (Template for manuscripts). The referencing style is APA7th. There are no publication fees or article processing charges (APCs) for authors who choose to publish in the JTL.
Papers selected by the editorial committee for review will be subjected to a double-blind review, so author names and publications must not appear in the submission document. In the “Comment to Editor”, please indicate that this submission is for the Special Issue 2025 Call for Papers. We also request authors to register as reviewers, as you may be asked to review other submissions. Please indicate your areas of expertise.
The Special Issue is scheduled for publication on 30 September 2025.
Deadlines:
- Submission of full papers: 30 June 2025
- Review process: July-August 2025
- Revisions to articles completed by 30 August 2025
- September 2025 – copy-editing, proofreading and typesetting.
Please address all editorial queries for this Special Issue to Prof Micheal van Wyk, vwykmm@unisa.ac.za and Prof Bernadictus O Plaatjies eplaatb@unisa.ac.za
All the best,
Clayton Smith, Editor
April King, Editorial Assistant
Journal of Teaching and Learning
JTL@uwindsor.ca